Archive for May, 2013|Monthly archive page

Its been a busy couple of weeks, first to Devon for a couple of shoots. We started in Salcombe, where we stayed at the lovely South Sands Hotel. The view from my bedroom window was spectacular and ever changing, it made me wish I’d packed a swimsuit

the evening view from the bedroom window

We were photographing the home of Quba founder Jim Hartley, his company does a great line in recycled sailcloth clothes and furniture. It was a very productive day with him and his family and the sun even shone.

Next we were on the road to Plymouth to photograph the Grayhound Lugger, home of Freya, Marcus and their son Malachi. There were a few technical hitches in pinpointing the Mayflower Marina but when we got there all was fine ( well, fine after a few steadying seasick pills!)

The Grayhound Lugger in Plymouth

Then nursing a cold we headed off to Malmo for a shoot at the home of glass and ceramics designer Anne Nilsson. Arriving in Malmo the night before the shoot gave us time to have a quick look around the city, where the remains of the recent Eurovision Song Contest were still in evidence

Malmo recovering from Eurovision

Thanks to the upheaval at Heathrow on Friday morning and a delayed crew arrival our SAS flight landed later than we had expected but there was a Bank Holiday Monday to look forward to so that made it feel a little better.

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When people ask me about my job as The Times Magazine Interiors Editor I often say that no two days are the same and this week was a good example. It started with a shoot in north London with photographer Jan Baldwin and her assistant Pete. The location was the home of two architects who went off to work and left us to get on with it, under the supervision of their dog Colin.

Jan and Pete setting up a kitchen shot

When it came to the sitting area we decided we needed a model, but as we were bereft of home owners Colin was pressed in to service. But he was reluctant about media exposure, so Pete had to do some gentle cajoling

Pete coaxing the reluctant model

After several very successful shots, Colin was exhausted and retired to a safe spot behind the footstool for a snooze.

Colin taking a break

On Friday’s shoot with photographer James Balston we had a very hands on couple who not only posed for portraits but also got stuck in when it came to getting the images together. Harry Parr of Bompas & Parr and set designer Cecilia Carey became part of the team, vacuuming, fruit arranging and moving furniture.

Parr and Carey hard at work

The stuff you don’t see – behind the camera

There was also time on Thursday to call in to the opening of Collect at the Saatchi Gallery and catch up with Freddie Robins whose home we featured in May 4 issue of the magazine. The artwork she was working on in one of the images used in the feature was now finished and on display

Freddie’s ‘Out on a Limb’ show at Collect

I also chatted to Ingrid Tate of Tate & Style, visiting from Orkney to see Freddie’s exhibit. Freddie was a co-founder of the great textile company Tate & Style that Ingrid now runs on her own, and we photographed Ingrid at home on the Scottish island several years ago. But that’s another story and it was another day.

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On Thursday evening I went to The Photographer’s Gallery for Jane Hilton’s book signing ( the home Jane shares with her husband Nick Lee and their son Johnny featured in the April 27th issue of The Times Magazine). Jane was signing copies of Precious, her book of images taken in the legal brothels of Nevada. It was busy but among the throng I bumped in to Harry Hardie formerly of the Times Mag Picture desk now founder and director of Here, a company that publishes, exhibits, teaches and supports photography. Also there was Krishna Seth who until recently was Photo Editor at the Telegraph, but with whom I worked a number of years ago when I was Interiors and Fashion editor on the Sunday Express Magazine, so it was a fun reunion.

Jane Hilton signing one of her books at The Photographers Gallery

On Friday it was off to Notting Hill where the main road is closed for urgent repairs to a large subterranean hole, it was eerily quiet coming out of the tube station, because of the lack of traffic. Walking down the road to a meeting at Michaelis Boyd Architects I had to stop and take in the wonderful view of a street lined with white blossom

Blossom lined street in Notting Hill

I went to talk to Alex Michaelis and Tim Boyd about a house we are going to photograph next week; they had done extensive design work on it, but we also ended up talking about their new dining table and chair project, recently launched in Milan, and a charity scheme in Nepal where they have designed a home for ex Gurkha soldiers. They had just flown in from overseeing the final stages of building, but both seemed as fresh as daises, or even the blossom in the street outside.

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Hello I am Vinny Lee, writer and stylist. I have been the Interiors Editor of The Times Magazine for 17 years and write most weekends on lifestyle and peoples living spaces. For most features I recce the location, set up the shoot, liaise with the photographer, art direct the shoot ... Continue reading →